Kunlun Mountain's Jade Void Palace was so oppressive that the air seemed ready to drip with water. Yuanshi Tianzun's fury made heaven and earth tremble.
Yet in stark contrast, on an immortal island floating amid endless currents of Chaos Qi above the East Sea, billions of miles away—
Golden Ao Island, Biyou Palace.
This was the Interception Sect's sacred ground, the place where myriad immortals came to pay homage.
At this moment, Biyou Palace held not the slightest trace of tension. Instead, it rang with unrestrained, utterly delighted laughter.
"Hahaha! Wonderful! Truly wonderful!"
Seated high upon a cloud couch, Tongtian Jiaozhu wore a blue Daoist robe, his black hair falling loosely over his shoulders. He slapped his thigh hard and laughed until he rocked back and forth, tears even spilling from the corners of his eyes.
His laughter was filled with appreciation and delight, as though it had not been his second senior brother who had been publicly humiliated, but himself who had finally vented his anger.
Below the hall, the Interception Sect disciples standing on either side—Daoist Duobao, Golden Spirit Holy Mother, Holy Mother Wudang, Holy Mother Guiling, and the San Xiao Sisters among them—looked at one another, utterly bewildered.
What was going on?
Had their master lost his mind from happiness...?
They too had felt that towering fury coming from Kunlun Mountain.
Immediately afterward, Yuanshi Tianzun's decree, brimming with killing intent, spread throughout the entire Primordial World.
The Chan Sect was going all out to hunt down an Azure Stone Palace Lord named Qin Feng.
Everyone had assumed that even if their master was not angered by the bond between fellow disciples, he would at least treat the matter gravely.
After all, this was no longer an ordinary dispute between disciples. It had risen to the level of a Saint's dignity.
But who could have expected their master to respond by clapping and laughing?
Second Uncle's home had been turned upside down, yet he was laughing as if it were New Year's. Was that really appropriate?
"Master..."
As the senior disciple, Daoist Duobao braced himself and stepped forward. He cautiously said, "Senior Uncle Yuanshi is... after all, a Saint of our Mystic Sect. Qin Feng publicly humiliated a Saint's decree. Isn't that somewhat..."
Before he could finish, Tongtian Jiaozhu waved him off.
Having finally stopped laughing, Tongtian Jiaozhu wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. Within those starry, profound eyes blazed a fiery light called appreciation.
"Somewhat what? Your master thinks it's excellent! Absolutely excellent!"
Tongtian Jiaozhu rose to his feet and paced back and forth through the hall, unable to suppress the excitement in his voice.
"What is Saintly majesty? What is the grand momentum of the Heavenly Dao? Bullshit!"
"The foundation of my Interception Sect is to seize that one chance which escapes for all living beings, to seek a sliver of life for all things between heaven and earth! We believe in defying fate, refusing fate, and having the courage to draw our swords against every injustice!"
His gaze swept over every disciple in the hall, and his voice abruptly rose.
"Look at Qin Feng! Then look at yourselves!"
"Faced with a Saint's decree, he could not even be bothered to lift an eyelid. One word—'Scram'—and Yuanshi's face was shattered all over the ground!"
"What is that called? That is called the Dao! That is called integrity!"
"That is someone who has truly grasped the essence of my Interception Sect!"
His words made every disciple in the hall lower their heads, shocked and ashamed.
Only then did they understand that what their master admired was Qin Feng's lawless dominance, his daring to challenge all authority!
It truly fit the Interception Sect's teachings perfectly.
Fairy Bi Xiao, the most straightforward of them all, could not help muttering softly, "But Master, Qin Feng does not seem to be a member of our Interception Sect..."
"He isn't now, but he will be later!"
Tongtian Jiaozhu waved a hand, a foxlike smile appearing on his face as he looked particularly pleased with himself.
"With someone so interesting, such a natural ally, would the Interception Sect not be fools if we did not take the initiative to show goodwill?"
He turned his gaze toward Daoist Duobao, his tone becoming unquestionable.
"Convey my decree!"
Daoist Duobao's expression turned solemn, and he immediately bowed. "This disciple is here!"
"From this day onward, any disciple of the Interception Sect, whether inner disciple, outer disciple, registered disciple, or direct disciple, shall treat Azure Stone Palace Lord Qin Feng with the courtesy due a fellow Daoist. Regard him as the Interception Sect's most honored guest. There must not be the slightest hostility toward him. Any violator shall be expelled from the sect!"
The entire hall was stunned by those words!
This decree carried far too much weight!
Treat him as the most honored guest? That was practically raising Qin Feng's status to the same level as their direct disciples, if not even higher!
It was practically writing the five words "I will protect him" right across his face and stamping them onto the forehead of the entire Primordial World!
However, that was not all.
Tongtian Jiaozhu paused, then added, "Also, go to White Bone Cave on Skeleton Mountain."
Daoist Duobao was startled. "To Junior Sister Shi Ji's place?"
"Correct." Tongtian Jiaozhu nodded, a meaningful smile on his lips. "Tell her that Junior Sister Shi Ji has worked hard in her cultivation outside the sect, and her master is deeply pleased. Bestow upon her the Water Fire Flower Basket, the Eight Trigrams Cloud Light Scarf, and the Dragon Tiger Ruyi—three high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures—to aid in her protection."
"Hiss—"
This time, even the ever-composed Golden Spirit Holy Mother and Holy Mother Wudang could not help drawing sharp breaths.
Three high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures!
What a lavish gift!
Shi Ji was, after all, merely one of the most inconspicuous outer disciples among the myriad immortals of the Interception Sect. Normally, she rarely even had the qualifications to come to Biyou Palace and listen to the Dao.
And now, their master was granting her three high-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures all at once?
This was no longer a reward. It was forcibly piling her status up to the level of a direct disciple with spiritual treasures!
A flash of insight struck Daoist Duobao, and he instantly understood all of Tongtian Jiaozhu's intentions.
The first decree announced to the entire Primordial World that Qin Feng was a friend of the Interception Sect.
And this second reward conveyed an even deeper message!
According to the news they had received earlier, that mysterious Azure Stone Palace Lord, Qin Feng, had first clashed with the Chan Sect in order to stand up for Shi Ji.
Now, by rewarding Shi Ji so generously, their master was telling Qin Feng—and the entire Primordial World—
Shi Ji is a member of my Interception Sect. You, Qin Feng, stood up for someone from my Interception Sect. The Interception Sect accepts this favor!
From now on, Qin Feng's affairs are the Interception Sect's affairs! When you slap the Chan Sect in the face, the Interception Sect will not only refrain from stopping you—we'll even hand you bricks from behind!
Brilliant! Simply brilliant!
This was not merely a gesture of goodwill. This was openly poaching an ally right in front of Yuanshi Tianzun!
Daoist Duobao's admiration for his master surged like a raging river, endless and unstoppable.
"This disciple obeys Master's decree! I will depart at once!"
Daoist Duobao dared not delay in the slightest. After receiving the decree and accepting the three radiant spiritual treasures from his master, he turned and hurried away.
Watching Duobao leave, Bi Xiao and Qiong Xiao were still clicking their tongues at their master's extravagance.
"Sister, Master really went all out this time."
More than that, he was telling Senior Uncle Yuanshi that anyone the Chan Sect wanted to harm would be protected by the Interception Sect!
While the disciples were discussing the matter animatedly, Tongtian Jiaozhu, seated above them, made an even more unexpected move.
He slowly closed his eyes, and in an instant, his entire aura became hazy and intangible, as though he had fused with the Great Dao of heaven and earth.
The next moment—Bzz—!
A shapeless, formless sword intent, sharp enough to sever eternal time and space, surged skyward from Tongtian Jiaozhu. It instantly pierced through Golden Ao Island's restrictions and vanished into the endless void.
This sword intent carried not the slightest killing aura, nor any pressure.
It was gentle and restrained, yet contained a dominance so overwhelming that even the Heavenly Dao would have to yield before it.
It crossed an immeasurable distance, ignored layer upon layer of world barriers, and descended above Chentang Pass in an instant.
Within Chen Tang Pass Governor's Mansion.
Qin Feng still sat calmly on the stone bench, soothing the somewhat restless Nezha in his arms as though everything outside had nothing to do with him.
He completely ignored the terrified Taiyi Zhenren, as well as Li Jing and his wife, who were kneeling on the ground.
Suddenly, Qin Feng's hand paused slightly.
He slowly raised his head, his deep gaze seeming to pierce through the mansion roof as he looked toward the nine heavens above.
There, a gentle yet domineering sword intent flashed past.
There was no hostility, no provocation.
There was only pure appreciation, and a greeting that could only be understood between kindred spirits.
It was as though it said: Friend, well done.
A faint smile tugged at Qin Feng's lips.
He withdrew his gaze and looked distantly toward Golden Ao Island in the East Sea, then gave an almost imperceptible nod.
That glance, that nod.
Marked the first silent communion between two supreme experts standing at different peaks of the Primordial World.
Though wordless, it was more shocking than any spoken words.
A signal had been established.
The Primordial World's long-solidified balance of power, along with the iron rule that all beneath Saints were mere ants, was about to undergo an unprecedented upheaval from this moment onward because of the variable known as Qin Feng.
A new era seemed about to arrive.
Before you continue